About the channel: Jessamyn Stanley is a yoga instructor, a body activist, and a self-titled "fat femme" on a mission to defy stereotypes about who can do yoga. Her channel has mostly short videos on how to do poses, but she also has a couple classes and inspirational talks. She's been featured all over, from our site to Glamour to Cosmo, and for good reason: She's a total badass.
In the first tutorial we learn to unplug our nervous systems from the global economy, to protect ourselves from social media corporations and digital technology like smartphones, and to establishing new connections with people and other things in the world. In the second, we learn about the threat of passive authoritarianism (way capitalism has implanted in each of us a desire to be ruled) and how to rebel from the inside out. In the final tutorial in the first series we break down the wall of distrust that debt of everything has built inside of (and between) us, and which it has made us pay for!
About the channel: Anna Guest-Jelley, founder of Curvy Yoga, set up her channel to both inspire and help train curvy yogis and teachers. The channel has pose tips, full-length videos, and discussions about yoga and body image. Guest-Jelley also runs an online studio. It's $20 per month (or $197 per year), which gives you access to a new video every month, a podcast, a private Facebook group, and more.
Price is an important factor when considering a yoga mat. If you’re a new yogi, it might make sense to choose a more affordable mat with fewer frills. But it’s also good to consider longevity vs. initial cost. All of our top picks are durable and can withstand heavy use for many classes to come, so putting down more money upfront might help you avoid having to replace a cheaper mat later.
About the channel: Adriene Mishler is one of the most-followed yoga teachers on YouTube, with more than 1.6 million subscribers. She offers tons of different kinds of specialized classes, like "Yoga For Anxiety" and "Yoga For Runners," plus more basic classes for all levels. Her videos don't have any students in them; they're just of her. The channel has new episodes every Wednesday.

I started feeling my left knee pop and my back ache at the base of my neck. With any new exercise, it’s normal to feel some new aches and pains while your muscles adjust. When you release tight muscles as you start doing yoga, it impacts your overall posture and muscles in unexpected places across your body, which might make you sore. Since I’m a desk worker, I wasn’t surprised that waking up neglected neck muscles was uncomfortable—they always get sore when I exercise my upper body, and the sensation was familiar.

One of the stellar things about yoga is that you can do it anytime, anywhere—and that absolutely includes on the beach during vacay. But whether you’re actually in the middle of an exotic getaway or just in your own living room, you’ll flow from pose to pose in this total-body, 20-minute routine led by Karena and Katrina from Tone It Up. Bonus? The rippling water and beautiful sky in the background almost make you feel like you’re there. (via Tone It Up)
About the channel: Nazaahah Amin is a leader in the wellness community for women of color. "Yoga is an excellent tool that can foster sisterhood and promote healing in the Black community," she writes on her website. She invites women to join her tribe by either coming to her DC- and Baltimore-based classes, or joining in online on her website or YouTube. Her channel is a mixture of classes and motivational messages and reflections.
Experts say: "When you watch Tim's videos, his laid-back 'California' vibe truly shines through. People love him because his yoga videos are geared for both beginner and intermediate practitioners, and he'll also throw an advance yoga posture into the mix, which makes his videos more dynamic than other typical online classes. He always gives very specific instructions, too. When you watch Tim, you feel like you are getting more than just an online yoga class — you feel like you are getting to know the 'real Tim.'" — Serena Tom, Yoga Teacher, Equinox
Begin in mountain pose with your hands on your hips. Step your left foot back about three feet and place it down at a 45-degree angle, so that your left arch is in line with your right heel. Your right toes should be pointing to the front of the mat. Both legs are straight. Turn your chest to face the left side. Reach your right out in front of your body and your left arm out behind you, so that they are parallel to the mat in a “T” position with your palms facing down.

When I started the quest for the best free online yoga resources, I set some criteria to quickly narrow my search. I wanted videos that were about an hour long to mimic the length of the studio classes I was used to. I was looking for videos that were an athletic challenge but also provided good routines for relaxation. And since I was new to my yoga practice, I wanted videos that broke down the basics of every pose.

Feeling overwhelmed? Yoga can help you take a step back from your busy schedule and find balance. A stressed-out mind often means a tense body (think: a clenched jaw, a stiff neck), so a calming yoga flow can give you a sense of relief both inside and out. Clinical therapist and yoga instructor Lauren Taus leads the way in this short but restorative flow, which is designed to give you an opportunity slow down and de-stress.
Experts say: "Jessamyn Stanley is a rising Instagram star and has gained much popularity for using yoga as a way to promote a positive body image and a positive self-esteem in ourselves. Yoga transformed Jessamyn's life by helping her overcome depression and years of body negativity. She uses Instagram and YouTube to defy the negative statements that many people have about people who are overweight, and you can often find her posing in advanced yoga postures. Viewers love Jessamyn's videos because they're very empowering — and she's creating a new and aspirational image of a 'healthy and athletic body.'" — Serena Tom, Yoga Teacher, Equinox

David is DoYogaWithMe's founder. After doing his first yoga class in his early twenties, he was driven to heal himself from successive injuries as an athlete and yearned to go deeper into his spiritual practice. Since then, David has explored many different styles of yoga, delved deep into the world of meditation and experimented with yoga breathing techniques. He is a yoga and meditation instructor, massage therapist, videographer, writer and dad and is known for his calm, skilled delivery, his ability to encourage people to be connected to their inner experience and his knowledge of anatomy, alignment, meditation, relaxation and pranayama.

Experts say: "Kino's videos are great for beginners, and for experienced practitioners looking to refresh their knowledge. In the video above, MacGregor takes the time to discuss the importance of breath, sun salutations, and foundation postures. She also explains both the purpose and the benefits of each pose, all while moving through a simple and meditative flow." — Serena Tom, Yoga Teacher, Equinox

The way the capitalist economy works makes it very hard for most of us to get the basics we need to stay alive, including housing and healthcare. We are encouraged to become competitive money making bots, and we are denied the time to attend to the things that really matter, like caring for community members, mending the environment or enjoying being alive on this planet. This contradiction makes some of us anxious and/or depressed, and/or leads to addiction and untransformative social unrest.

Experts say: "Jessamyn Stanley is a rising Instagram star and has gained much popularity for using yoga as a way to promote a positive body image and a positive self-esteem in ourselves. Yoga transformed Jessamyn's life by helping her overcome depression and years of body negativity. She uses Instagram and YouTube to defy the negative statements that many people have about people who are overweight, and you can often find her posing in advanced yoga postures. Viewers love Jessamyn's videos because they're very empowering — and she's creating a new and aspirational image of a 'healthy and athletic body.'" — Serena Tom, Yoga Teacher, Equinox
This video’s racked up more than a million views for one reason: It rocks. California-based yogi Tim Senesi kills it with this total-body vinyasa flow, which is geared for beginner to intermediate yogis (though it does include some more advanced arm-balance poses, like twisted crow). His super-specific direction makes it easy to follow and so enjoyable. (via Fightmaster Yoga)

David is DoYogaWithMe's founder. After doing his first yoga class in his early twenties, he was driven to heal himself from successive injuries as an athlete and yearned to go deeper into his spiritual practice. Since then, David has explored many different styles of yoga, delved deep into the world of meditation and experimented with yoga breathing techniques. He is a yoga and meditation instructor, massage therapist, videographer, writer and dad and is known for his calm, skilled delivery, his ability to encourage people to be connected to their inner experience and his knowledge of anatomy, alignment, meditation, relaxation and pranayama.

Answer: Great question! I actually struggled with this quite a bit. On the one hand, I probably could charge quite a bit more for these videos, based on their high-quality level and the depth of the content. The truth is that we want as many people to benefit from them as possible. That’s why I’m keeping the price low. For the price of a book, you can have over 5 hours of gentle yoga for seniors videos.

In addition to providing real boosts in strength and flexibility, both yoga and Pilates have been shown to reduce stress, improve concentration, stimulate the immune system and create an overall sense of well-being. Once considered somewhat alternative fitness activities, both yoga and Pilates have become fundamental components of physical fitness regimens for beginners to elite athletes. Power Systems can help by providing the best in yoga and Pilates mats, yoga chairs, Pilates machines, and much more to help you make the most of these important activities.

Luckily, YouTube is a treasure trove of awesome (and free!) workouts—and that includes yoga routines. We compiled 21 of our favorite, super-effective videos: With options ranging from quickie sessions to ones that focus on relaxation to those that target specific trouble areas, there’s bound to be one that works for you. Consider this the green light for plenty of at-home om-ing.

The standard thickness of a regular yoga mat is 4–5 millimeters. Travel mats are generally 3 millimeters or less, and thick mats are 6–9 millimeters. The type of yoga you practice can help you figure out which thickness is right for you. Instructor Jane Witzenburg advises, “If you are doing a lot of lunges, use a thicker mat. If you are doing more balancing postures, use a thinner mat.”
About the channel: Nazaahah Amin is a leader in the wellness community for women of color. "Yoga is an excellent tool that can foster sisterhood and promote healing in the Black community," she writes on her website. She invites women to join her tribe by either coming to her DC- and Baltimore-based classes, or joining in online on her website or YouTube. Her channel is a mixture of classes and motivational messages and reflections.
Bring your shoulders, hips, and heels into a straight line (imagine that there is a straight line from your head to heels). Keep your shoulders over your wrists. Engage your abdominals. Press your palms into the ground to engage your triceps and biceps. Press your shoulder blades down the back, and lengthen your sternum forward to keep your chest open. Look toward the front of the mat.
We were initially pretty skeptical about the special alignment markings, thinking they might just be a gimmick — but our testers were taken with how helpful the markings were in practice. A centerline helps you maintain symmetry, while 45-degree lines and other parallel markings help you nail perfect alignment. (Lines are spaced at varied distances for taller and shorter people). Liforme explains how the markings should be used more thoroughly on its website, but we found this to be pretty intuitive for experienced testers, even if they didn’t read the instructions.

It’s easy to fall off the yoga practice bandwagon. There are so many things that can keep you away from the studio—staying late at work, forgetting your mat, or even feeling anxious that you’ll look silly in a class of seasoned yogis. Whatever the reason, there are tons of free online options to supplement your practice. The problem then becomes searching through the haystack of free online resources to find your perfect namaste needle.

Beyond Yoga Essential Long Legging: "These pants are by far my FAVORITE yoga pants. I think I own maybe 7-10 pairs of just the "Essential" legging, and many pairs of other styles/colors. The fabric is to die for. They don't feel like your typical yoga pant, and you'll never want to take them off. They aren't just for working out. Since they don't have a side seam, they are the perfect legging to wear with a sweater/tunic. They also pass the "bend over" test...you can't see through them.